Twitter Aghast Over Parent and Child Mask-Burning Protest at Idaho Capitol: ‘Were They Out of Books?’
Video of a small protest at the Idaho statehouse quickly went viral on Saturday afternoon after social media reacted in shock and exasperation.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Sergio Olmos filmed the gathering of roughly 150 anti-mask protestors gathered on the Idaho Capitol steps, where the group then held a symbolic burning of used masks, with numerous children being encouraged by their parents to toss the masks into an illegal burn barrel brought on site.
As of Thursday, 15 states no longer have mask mandates in place with two more — Texas and Alabama — having just made controversial announcements identifying a future, set date when their mask restrictions will end. Idaho was one of 11 states that never put in place a requirement to wear masks.
About 150 people are gathered in Boise, Idaho on the Capitol steps to “burn the mask” pic.twitter.com/bRoUy5bd86
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) March 6, 2021
Parents encouraging kids to burn masks on Idaho Capitol steps pic.twitter.com/VOYfOYqwwt
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) March 6, 2021
The images of children joining in the performative protest ignited a number of reactions, from disgust to outrage to disappointment, as the country still averages more than 60,000 new cases a day and roughly 1,800 deaths.
Were they out of books? https://t.co/gLTuQGhvyK
— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) March 6, 2021
we’ve found a way to make book burning more dumb https://t.co/gGuoA3mPbT
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 6, 2021
this was literally a fucking joke I made up are you fucking kidding me that this is really happening because these stupid fucking facebook parents are so goddamn fucking stupid https://t.co/7RchltkbQs
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) March 6, 2021
The Bad Place https://t.co/zH39GLZ7uA
— Jameela Jamil ? (@jameelajamil) March 6, 2021
And IGNORANCE isn’t an American problem? https://t.co/69lnWj0yh3
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) March 6, 2021
Proud of their ignorance and pleased with their indifference to the well-being of others, some of our fellow Americans continue to define deviancy down. https://t.co/mIK9XuNp6S
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 6, 2021
Good to know they’re encouraging Nazism. https://t.co/DHPJFhamEk
— Eric Idle (@EricIdle) March 6, 2021
Mask burnings. We are literally having public mask burnings during a pandemic.
It’s like Dunning-Kruger for Nazis. https://t.co/kW5bcj80bj
— matt blaze (@mattblaze) March 6, 2021
Watching these innocent children being used this way by their willfully ignorant parents makes me want to cry. https://t.co/31s4fC7Wvs
— Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) March 6, 2021
America is an incredibly absurd country https://t.co/WXIr7q7goc
— Zito (@_Zeets) March 6, 2021
These Idaho parents are stuck on stupid. https://t.co/dgbEcewC2i
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) March 6, 2021
Gleefully teaching children to put themselves in harm’s way sounds like something Child Protective Services should be interested in. https://t.co/yRBT5WWgsK
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) March 6, 2021
Idaho ranks 33rd in education, 40th in healthcare access, & is only 23% vaccinated.
536K Americans have died.#WearAMask https://t.co/XTkcMS4HXd
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) March 6, 2021
Throw some seat belts in there for good measure! https://t.co/8xPCwbAP2g
— Josh Michaud (@joshmich) March 6, 2021
I never thought a cultural trend would be dumber than when a bunch of people boycotted French products during the war in Iraq but… we did it. This is the dumbest thing imaginable. https://t.co/p3lZJAGbEa
— BenDavid Grabinski+ (@bdgrabinski) March 6, 2021
“Not only are we stupid, but we want you to know we’re raising our kids to be stupid too, so watch out!” https://t.co/vQOqkO6RdV
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) March 6, 2021
If this doesn’t make your heart break for America then nothing will, no matter WHO you vote for. https://t.co/B7nMw5n7dW
— Willie Garson ?? (@WillieGarson) March 6, 2021
oh yeah absolutely you want to burn blown synthetics and stand around breathing the fumes, that’s the good shit that gives your lungs superpowers https://t.co/lQivi1hR7l
— kilgore trout, ted’s travel agent (@KT_So_It_Goes) March 6, 2021
These are awful parents. No exceptions. https://t.co/TIebikV4yy
— Tim Wise (@timjacobwise) March 6, 2021
The myth of American exceptionalism. https://t.co/ZjWKd5b3F0
— Tolkien Negro (@marcbernardin) March 6, 2021
